The mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will publish a commentary Sunday to hail the decision made by China's top legislature on the constitutional development in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as a stabilizer for Hong Kong's fate.
In the commentary titled "Appropriately addressing issues on constitutional development, safeguarding long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong," the People's Daily says the decision passed Saturday by the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee on selecting HKSAR Chief Executive and the Legislative Council as well as universal suffrage issues is "both significant and far-reaching."
After reviewing the report submitted by HKSAR Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, the NPC Standing Committee approved that appropriate amendments may be made to the specific method for selecting the fourth HKSAR Chief Executive and the specific method for forming the fifth term HKSAR Legislative Council in the year 2012.
The committee also decided that the election of the fifth HKSAR Chief Executive in the year 2017 may be implemented by universal suffrage.
After the chief executive is selected by universal suffrage, the election of the HKSAR Legislative Council may be implemented by the method of electing all the members by universal suffrage.
"This important decision is both significant and far-reaching in comprehensively implementing the policy of "one country, two systems" and the HKSAR Basic Law, effectively safeguarding the interests of Hong Kong people, ensuring gradual and orderly development of democratic system in the HKSAR, and maintaining and enhancing long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong," the commentary says.
According to the HKSAR Basic Law approved by the NPC on April 4,1990, the method for selecting Chief Executive and forming the Legislative Council shall be specified in the light of the actual situation in the HKSAR and in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress. The ultimate aim is the election of Chief Executive and all the Legislative Council members by universal suffrage.
Tsang's report reflected real concern of the Hong Kong society on when universal suffrage will come, the commentary says, noting that it shows Hong Kong people's hope for eliminating uncertainties of the future of HKSAR constitutional development and therefore focusing themselves on developing economy and bettering livelihood.
The NPC Standing Committee decision positively reacts to the concern and hope of the Hong Kong society, the newspaper says.
By clarifying the timetable for the HKSAR constitutional development, the commentary says, the central government shows full sincerity in pushing forward democracy in line with the HKSAR Basic Law and resolution to ensure a long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong.
As a local administrative region of China as stipulated in the Basic Law, the HKSAR is subject to the central government of the People's Republic of China, which has jurisdiction over HKSAR constitutional development, the commentary says.
It is a preset policy of the central government to develop democratic system suited to Hong Kong, it says.
Since Hong Kong returned to the motherland a decade ago, the policy of "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law have been effectively implemented and the democratic system of Hong Kong has also been developed substantially and steadily, which allows its people to enjoy unprecedented political rights, the commentary says.
Deng Xiaoping, the chief architect of China's reform and opening-up policy, mentioned that Hong Kong's stability would be ensured by not only economic growth, but also steady political development.
The decision made by the NPC Standing Committee embodies the spirit of the always pursued policies and provides an institutional guarantee for stable constitutional development in Hong Kong, the commentary says.
The commentary envisions a much brighter future for Hong Kong against the backdrop of economic globalization and much stronger economic support from the Chinese mainland. The social and economic progress in Hong Kong will lay a more solid basis for further constitutional development, it says.